(Audubon) After a back and forth first quarter, Audubon scored 44 unanswered points to take a strangle hold on their Week 4 matchup with rival Exira-EHK. The Wheelers improve to 2-0 in district play with Friday’s 64-30 victory.
Each team possessed the football twice in the first quarter and both teams scored two touchdowns in the opening frame. Things changed in a big way, thanks in large part to an Izik Sorensen blocked punt. The 6-1 250 pound freshman set up the Wheelers with 1st and goal early in the 2nd quarter. Aaron Olsen ran in from 10 yards out to push the lead to 24-14 and the home squad never looked back. It was one of Olsen’s five TD runs on the night. The sophomore signal caller tallied 127 yards on 24 attempts. He also completed 3/4 passes for 94 yards and two scores. Edward Miller was on the receiving end of both TD’s. Miller, a 6-5 200 pound tight end finished with a career best 78 yards receiving. Manny Beisswenger and Evan Alt made the most of their limited touches. Beisswenger’s 45 yard sprint to the end zone on a reverse ballooned the lead to 32-14 with 8:27 left in the first half. He finished with 58 yards on two carries. Alt ran three times for 25 yards and caught a pass for ten yards.
TD runs of 42 and three yards by Olsen late in the half pushed Audubon’s advantage to 44-14 at the break. The Wheeler defense held an Exira-EHK passing attack in check after a hot start. Spartan senior QB Trey Petersen opened the game 6/6, but completed just one of his next ten attempts. Derrek Kommes was the main target when things were going well early with six grabs for 112 yards and a score. Cash Emgarten snared three balls for 50 yards. Petersen had 19 of Exira-EHK’s 25 rushing attempts. He broke a couple of big runs early in the game and gained 38 yards with two touchdowns over his first six carries, but the Audubon defense contained him well over the final three quarters.
Offensive linemen Gavin Larsen, Cooper Nielsen, and Colton Hansen made a big impact getting downfield blocks. Larsen even caught a few passes on two-point conversions and completed a 24 yard throw to Armando Alarcon on a fake punt. The conversion allowed the Wheelers to control the football for the final few minutes off the first half and eventually punch in a TD run with :29 to go in the 2nd quarter.
Audubon improves to 2-0 in district play and is 2-3 overall. They’ve got a big showdown on tap with CAM next Friday night. Exira-EHK suffers their 2nd district loss. They Spartans oppose Bedford in Week 5.
